Today we are in A Guarda to visit the Castle of Santa Cruz.
The Castle was built between 1663 and 1664 to defend A Guarda from the Portuguese, who wanted independence from Spain (they achieved in 1668, with the Treaty of Lisbon). It takes its name from D. Alvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz (who died in 1588, Captain General of the Spanish Armada during the reigns of Philip II and Carlos V).
A Guarda is a municipality located in the southwest corner of the province of Pontevedra, in the mouth of the River Miño next to Portugal. A Guarda has about 10,000 inhabitants.
Although the municipality is known for the Monte Santa Tecla (or Tegra in Galician language) with its important archaeological sites and its stunning views, A Guarda has major attractions that we will present here, such as an important fishing port, the estuary of the Minho and its beaches (in the river Miño and also in the Atlantic Ocean).
It also highlights its historical heritage. Religious (highlighting among others the Church of Santa Maria and the Convent of San Benito) and civil (with the Castle of Santa Cruz which we visit today and the circular fortress called Atalaia, among several other monuments) and the old town where it is located the historic Town Hall and the tower called del Reló.
Coordinates to find the location of A Guarda in Galicia. Extend the map and reach the Castle of Santa Cruz: 41.903994, -8.873594
Porta da Vila is one of the two entrances to the castle. We can see in the background the other entrance called Porta de Socorro.
Over the years the castle loses importance and becomes almost in ruins. In 1860 the State sold the property in parts. Until few years ago the site remained in a state of neglect, overgrown.
Here we see in more detail from the Porta da Vila the other entrance to the castle, the Porta de Socorro.
In 2012 national and local administrations (Ministerio de Fomento and the Municipality of A Guarda) have made and carried out a project to restore the castle in order to turn it into a public space for the enjoyment of residents and visitors. At the end of 2013 it was opened to the public.
Porta de Socorro.
Inside it there were and have been preserved important species such as oaks, camellias, chestnut trees, pines, acacias, eucalyptus and even an impressive cedar of Lebanon.
This is an information panel that indicates the location of the Porta de Socorro in the castle.
We can also see beautiful views over the town of A Guarda Mount Santa Tecla and the Atlantic Ocean, especially from the rebuilt bastion called A Guía.
We enter the castle through the Porta de Socorro. We see from here the Porta da Vila.
Besides Interpretation Centre Fortresses of the Miño is under construction. Fortresses were numerous in a historical period in which there were quite "hustle and bustle" in this area between the Spanish and Portuguese.
View of Porta da Vila.
And this is another view of Porta da Vila.
Cypresses in the bastion called da Guia.
View from the bastion da Guía.
View of Mount Santa Tecla/Trega and the bell tower of the church of Santa María and A Guarda.
View of the bell tower of the church of Santa María and the Atlantic Ocean.
The well and the waterwheel.
View from the castle of the area where Area Grande and Fedorento beaches are located.
View of the two entrances to the castle: Porta da Vila (left) and Porta de Socorro.
We finish our visit to the Castle of Santa Cruz with one last view from Porta da Vila.
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